Supporters of German club Rot-Weiss Essen (RWE) took their opposition to opponents RB Leipzig to a literal level overnight, using concrete to seal off the entrance to the visiting fans’ section. The incident occurred in the hours leading up to the second-round DFB-Pokal match between the third-tier Essen side and the Bundesliga giants, scheduled for Tuesday evening at the Stadion an der Hafenstraße.
Stadium employees and city workers discovered the barrier early Tuesday morning. A wooden frame had been constructed across the double entrance gates and filled with concrete, effectively hardening into a wall that prevented the doors from being opened. Above the newly formed block, the perpetrators left a message in graffiti reading: “Bulls must stay outside today,” a derogatory reference to RB Leipzig’s “Red Bulls” branding.
Rot-Weiss Essen spokesperson Henrik Lerch described the incident as a “short-lived nuisance.” According to club officials, it took approximately two hours for workers using pickaxes and construction tools to demolish the frame and clear the concrete. By late Tuesday morning, the club confirmed that the entrance had been restored and guest fans would be able to access their seats normally.
The act is the latest expression of hostility toward RB Leipzig, a club frequently targeted by traditional German football fanbases who oppose the team’s corporate ownership structure and rapid rise through the league system. The Stadion an der Hafenstraße, which holds approximately 20,000 spectators, was expected to host around 550 traveling Leipzig supporters for the cup tie.
While the identity of those responsible for the construction remains unknown, the incident followed an official notice released by RWE on Monday stating that guest fans would be barred from home-seating sections regardless of whether they held valid tickets. This is not the first time the two teams have met in the opening stages of the tournament; in August 2024, RB Leipzig visited Essen and secured a 4-1 victory. Despite the overnight vandalism, the match is set to proceed as planned with security and access points fully operational.
